Europe’s next heatwave is already building over the Atlantic, as the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that more “deadly weeks may still lie ahead”.
Spain’s weather agency AMET has declared a top level red heat alert in three eastern regions, warning that temperatures could reach a sweltering 42C this week. The Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia regions are predicted to be among the worst hit as the mercury rises.
Portugal and France are also bracing for temperatures to exceed 40C – with forecasts predicting more ‘tropical nights’. This is where the temperature never drops below 20C in a 24-hour period, leading many to sleep badly.
The looming heatwave comes as wildfires ravage huge parts of Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the Tour de France race.
Europe’s warming climate – which is conclusively caused by the persistent burning of fossil fuels – has resulted in calls for the continent to embrace air conditioning. Even the UK, which is known for its dreary weather, has been told by the independent Climate Change Committee that 22 per cent of the country’s buildings will need active cooling in a future with 2°C warming.
